Phrase guide

complexity function

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A function that counts the number of distinct factors (substrings of consecutive symbols) in a string of symbols;

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, computing-theory, engineering, group-theory, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • 2003, Julien Cassaigne, Constructing Infinite Words of Intermediate Complexity, Masami Ito, Masafumi Toyama (editors), Developments in Language Theory: 6th International Conference, 6th International Conference, DLT 2002, Revised Papers, Springer, LNCS 2450, page 173, We present two constructions of infinite words with a complexity function that grows faster than any polynomial, but slower than any exponential.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A function that counts the number of distinct factors (substrings of consecutive symbols) in a string of symbols; (of a formal language) a function that counts the number of words of a given length.

a function that counts the number of words of a given length.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, computing-theory, engineering, group-theory, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A function representing the computational complexity an algorithm.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, computing-theory, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • 2003, Roberto Segala, Verification of Randomized Distributed Algorithms, Ed Brinksma, Holger Hermanns, Joost-Pieter Katoen (editors), Lectures on Formal Methods and Performance Analysis, Springer, LNCS 2090, page 253, Let φ be a complexity function.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: Komplexitätsfunktion — function that counts distinct factors of a string
  • German: Komplexitätsfunktion — function that counts distinct words of a given length in a language
  • German: Komplexitätsfunktion — function that represents the computational complexity of an algorithm